2011 Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series season
The 2011 F1RWRS season was the second season of the F1RWRS. It was won by Nathanael Spencer after 15 races. Spencer's team Prospec won the constructors' championship for the second year running. The season was also notable for a large increase in field numbers and the introduction of pre-qualifying. Season Review The success of the F1RWRS' first year ensured the series' longterm future. The Zimmer brothers signed new race contracts and television deals through 2012 which left the series on firm financial footing. With business booming, the entrants for the series multiplied as twenty teams would eventually take part in the season. Hemogoblin Autowerks, Jones Racing, Trueba Racing Team, ECB, Australian Minardi and Anglo-Manx Racing would enter at the beginning of the year. By race 6, Holden became the first major manufacturer to commit to the sport (although they had provided support for John Zimmer's ZimSport squad). They were also joined by ArrowTech at the same time. However, this was balanced by the closure of several teams before and during the season. KQ Motor Sports was the first to go after their manufacturer backing disappeared, leaving the team with no money to develop a car for 2011. The new teams also created a flurry of action in the driver market with Sammy Jones and Douglas Mann both creating their own teams. Dan BH and Adam Lewis retired after 2010 but neither seat was filled at KQ folded and Bangelia became a one-car operation. West Cliff was unfortunate enough to have both their drivers depart; they replaced them with Hagane Shizuka who had departed KQ at the end of 2010. JLD was able to retain Daniel Melrose but Chris Dagnall joined Sammy Jones' team. JLD would later replace Dagnall with Jeroen Krautmeir midway through the season. Pacchia signed Ashley Watkinson from CR, leaving CR as a single-car operation with Darren Older Jr.. Phoenix McAllister left Calinetic to join Rosenforth; he was replaced by Thomas De Bock. Six rookies, John Zimmer, Aurelien Moll, Giovanni Roda, T. Hemo Goblin, Dave Simpson and future champion Pippa Mann all made their debuts at the start of the season, most with new teams. The season began at the the Norisring with the inaugural Bavarian Grand Prix. Cameron took pole but he slipped to third in the race behind his teammate De Bock and the winner, Simon Redman. Redman's first and only career win was also Kahama's first and so far only win. The series stayed in Germany as the teams made the short trip to the Hockenheimring for the 2011 F1RWRS German Grand Prix. Nathanael Spencer won the race easily from second on the grid. Spencer went on to win the next race in Oschersleben, establishing himself as the early-season title favorite with two consecutive victories. The fourth and final race in Germany, the 2011 F1RWRS Luxembourg Grand Prix was a chaotic farce after the track marshals decided to go on strike before the race. The replacement marshals were untrained and poorly organized and after a first-lap pileup involving four cars, madness descended upon the 'Ring. The three cars that had crashed out on Lap 1 would remain at the first turn as the marshals desperately tried to find cranes to remove the cars. Eventually, most of the field was caught at the Turn 1 pileup as the track workers failed to remove the stricken cars. Luca Pacchiarini survived and nearly made it to the end but he was collected in the pileup on the last lap. Chris Dagnall picked up the pieces to take his and RubberTex Jones' first F1RWRS victory. The officiating problems continued into the next race in Belgium. Kay Lon speared off the circuit on Lap 14 which caused a chain reaction of collisions. The cars that sustained damage were all given the black-and-orange flag which forced the damaged cars into the pits (although, to be fair, they would have pitted anyway). The entire field was eventually flagged but Daniel Melrose was able to take his first F1RWRS win with Hemo Goblin in second. Race 6 at Silverstone saw the arrival of three new teams: Team Phoenix, Holden and ArrowTech. However, this was preceded by the ignominious end of Rosenforth one month before as the team divided in half. This was mostly due to the corrosive rivalry between Phoenix McAllister and Frank Zimmer. Zimmer fled to Holden while McAllister acquired a chassis and formed his own team. Barii Mori was hired to the team at the next race. But in Silverstone, Dave Simpson dominated the race as the championship battle was now delicately poised in Spencer's favor. The 2011 F1RWRS English Grand Prix was won by Melrose who took the victory after Simpson's tyre strategy failed. The 2011 F1RWRS Kent Grand Prix at Brands Hatch was won by Aurelien Moll who became the fourth new winner of the season. ECB also became the the third different team to take their maiden win. Gary Cameron became the fifth new winner at the 2011 F1RWRS Dutch Grand Prix, despite the fact that he was already the reigning champion. Melrose jumped out to a twelve point lead over Spencer. Moll took his second win in three races on the streets of Adelaide but Spencer collided with Dagnall during the race, which wasted a good opportunity to gain ground on Melrose. The series stayed in Australia for the 2011 F1RWRS Australian Grand Prix at Mount Panorama. Melrose failed to qualify for the race after the qualifying system was revamped to include all the drivers in the field. The race itself quickly went awry when Nicolas Steele and James Davies collided at "The Cutting", causing a multi-car collision which blocked the circuit completely. The race was restarted without the wrecked cars and a second qualifying session was held, a decision that annoyed several drivers. Ashley Watkinson took the second race victory of his career with De Bock second and Spencer third. Cameron failed to score as the championship battle was essentially narrowed to Melrose and Spencer. Melrose held a lead of five points heading into the final four races of the season. The first two were held on Melrose's home turf in Australia. The first, the 2011 F1RWRS New South Wales Grand Prix, was marred by the death of Holden legend Tom Walkinshaw. The Holden team paid their respects by painting their cars with a memorial livery and went on to take a commanding 1-3 finish in the race with John Zimmer in first after his brother was given a controversial twenty-second time penalty post-race for dangerous driving. Spencer managed to finish in second but Dave Simpson collided with Melrose midway through the race (Simpson was disqualified for his actions), giving the Englishman a five-points lead in the championship. The next race in Surfers' Paradise saw a race-long battle between the two title contenders in the rain which ended when Hagane Shizuka collided with Melrose in the rain. However, Spencer was also taken out in the crash which kept the title fight alive. Ironically, Shizuka survived to win the race followed by the two Phoenix cars. Prospec bounced back at the 2011 F1RWRS Chinese Grand Prix by taking a dominant 1-2 victory (led by Koczo) which sealed them the Constructors' Championship for the second year running. Melrose finished third. The championship went down to the final race of the year but both Melrose and Spencer did not factor during the race after both drivers screwed up their pit strategies. The race came down to the final lap when Jeroen Krautmeir passed Giovanni Roda with a spectacular move at the Corkscrew. Spencer and Melrose both failed to score, handing Nathanael Spencer the title. Drivers and teams Calendar Testing Races Points system Driver Standings Constructor Standings Harvey Jones Memorial Trophy Category:2011 F1RWRS season Category:Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series